Mikhail Baryshnikov (The Old Woman, 2014 Winter/Spring) steps inside the splintering psyche of one of the greatest dancers in history in director Robert Wilson’s staging of Vaslav Nijinsky’s diaries. The text chronicles the onset of the iconic Russian performer’s schizophrenia in 1919, tracing the contours of his profound isolation, tormented sexuality and spirituality, and preoccupation with erstwhile lover and Ballets Russes founder Sergei Diaghilev. Hal Willner’s collage-like score weaves audio fragments of the diary with a century-spanning soundtrack of songs by Tom Waits, Arvo Pärt, Henry Mancini, and Soviet futurist composer Alexander Mosolov, as our coat-tailed subject sashays and staggers through Wilson’s saturated lightscapes.

PROGRAM NOTES

Direction, set design, and lighting concept by Robert Wilson with Mikhail Baryshnikov Based on the diary of Vaslav Nijinsky Text by Christian Dumais-Lvowski Dramaturgy by Darryl Pinckney Music by Hal Willner Costumes by Jacques Reynaud Collaboration to movements and spoken text by Lucinda Childs Lighting design by A.J. Weissbard Sound design by Nick Sagar and Ella Wahlström Video design by Tomek Jeziorski

Sold-out performance? Don’t despair. Standby tickets may become available and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the box office just before the start of the show. For updates on availability, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 and follow @BAM_Brooklyn on Twitter. Balcony seating is only accessible by 70 stairs.